07

Lily Montgomery

This mansion was eerily silent. The portraits scattered along the hallway seemed to watch me with every step I took. My gaze fixed on one particular photo: a blonde woman with expressive eyes and a subtle smile. She was beautiful. There was something melancholic in her eyes, something that made me hesitate.

"Mary was a good wife," Luigi's voice—or rather, my father's—echoed behind me. I slowly turned around, my heart tightening in my chest.

"Didn't you want to have children with her?" I asked, trying to ignore the feeling that I was trapped in a snare.

"It was a marriage of convenience. There wasn’t enough love for that," he replied.

An ironic laugh escaped my lips before I could stop myself. "It seems like this family is used to that."

"Lily, I don’t want you to think that way." Luigi sighed, crossing his arms. "Arranged marriages are common in the world we live in."

"I'm not part of that world," my voice came out cold, firm.

He looked at me for a moment, then bluntly said, "I know your finances aren’t good. Your writing hasn’t been successful. And above all, you’re in danger. By marrying, you’ll have guaranteed money, even after the contract ends."

Indignation surged up my throat like fire. "I’d rather have never known you." I spat the words before turning on my heels and leaving his presence. I slammed the bedroom door hard, my chest rising and falling quickly.

It took me a few seconds to calm down, but then I noticed something that made my skin crawl: my personal items were there. My notebook. My clothes. How? I approached the bed, touching the fabric of my T-shirts, feeling the familiarity of my laptop under my fingers. My body trembled. I didn’t bring any of this with me. Someone had done this for me.

My stomach churned. Great. I’d forgotten the most important detail: I was surrounded by criminals.

I took a deep breath.

I was the result of a one-night affair, and this man would never have come looking for me if I had no use for him.

I sat on the bed. After a few unsuccessful attempts to write, I descended the mansion’s stairs that led to the kitchen, my body tense and my heart beating faster with every step.

I needed a break, but I knew that, in truth, there was no way to escape this silent prison. I opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, but as I brought it to my lips, Matteo's voice cut through the kitchen silence, making me choke.

"We’re moving the wedding to this weekend, Luigi. My wedding planner has been notified, and the invitations will be sent out soon."

The water went down my throat, but a cold feeling spread across my skin. It couldn’t be. I thought I would have more time. I thought I still had space to breathe, to think. But no. Time was running out. The wedding would be this weekend, and I no longer had any options.

I couldn’t hear their words anymore, the sound of Luigi’s soft voice trying to justify the decision. None of it mattered anymore. I was trapped. Three days. Three days was nothing. I felt like freedom was slipping away from me like sand between my fingers. Now, everything was out of control.

I walked back down the hallway, trying to control the trembling that took over my body. I knew what was coming even before I saw him. Matteo was there, standing with that calculating look in his eyes. I could already feel the weight of his presence, like a constant shadow.

"Starting tomorrow, you won’t leave the property without my permission."

I looked at him, anger rising within me, but also a growing sense of panic. I wasn’t his property. I wasn’t.

"You don’t have the right to do this," my voice trembled, but I kept it firm, trying not to show the desperation. "I’m not yours, and I never should have been."

He looked at me with that unbearable smile, the one that said he knew exactly what he was doing. Without another word, he passed by me, leaving a trail of coldness in the air.

I stood there, frozen, the fear rising in my throat. I no longer had time. He was right. Starting tomorrow, my freedom would end.

I rushed into my room, locking the door behind me. My heart was pounding wildly, and my hands trembled as I looked around.

"As much as you want to erase it, you still remember my touches, my kisses, and my voice in your ear," he whispered as he got closer.

Anger consumed me, a mixture of emotions swirling inside. I needed to leave. I knew the front door was being watched, there was no way out through there. But what about the back? Or a side passage? Something less obvious, something they wouldn’t expect.

I moved toward the window, my eyes scanning the grounds outside. The air was still, but I knew that any wrong move could be the end. The low wall outside didn’t seem like much of a challenge for someone with a little courage. Maybe it was my only chance.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was all I had. Now or never. I couldn’t wait. Time was against me. I couldn’t be a prisoner of my own life. I had to leave before it was too late.

I didn’t waste any time. I approached the window, took a deep breath, and with one last glance at the room, I threw myself into the darkness. The low wall was easier than I had imagined, but as I landed on the ground, a muffled sound made me stop.

A spotlight swept across the garden, and the next moment, I heard the sound of rapid footsteps. Guards. My heart raced. They were closer than I had thought. Without hesitation, I began to run, heading toward the opposite side of the mansion, where I knew there was a side door.

With every step, I could feel the pressure building, panic coursing through my veins. They were hunting me, like an animal being tracked. I tried to stay as quiet as possible while I moved through the grounds, but one of the guards' lights pierced the darkness and, in a matter of seconds, he spotted me.

"Hey, you!" he shouted in a deep voice.

My stomach turned. It couldn’t be. Not now.

I tried to speed up, but before I could take two more steps, two other guards appeared, blocking my escape.

"You’re not going anywhere, Miss Montgomery," one of them said as the others closed in quickly.

The feeling of being surrounded made me lose track of time, my body frozen, my thoughts in turmoil. Before I could try to escape again, my phone buzzed in my pocket. The sound was almost torturous, but on impulse, I took it out and answered. My voice came out hoarse and full of panic.

"Lily," Luigi’s voice echoed on the other end. "It’s over. Matteo was clear, and you can’t leave. I can’t let you go. We’re getting married, and you need to believe I’m doing this for your own good."

I tried to speak, but he was relentless.

"Lily, you need to understand. I don’t want you to get hurt. Marriage is the only way to ensure you’ll be safe. Trust your father."

Anger bubbled up inside me, but panic kept me from thinking clearly. The guards began pushing me toward the mansion, and all I wanted to do was scream, to break free, but my words were stuck in my throat.

I could barely hear anything else. The guards were pushing me, and I felt a greater force dragging me back into the house, into another prison I could no longer endure.

It was exactly three days until the weekend. And I refused to marry Matteo Salvatore, who, besides being my ex-boyfriend, was a despicable man.